Review Isola Pizza Bar - La Jolla

The server was pretty kind. The ambiance is really beautiful; really nice at night. The food was delicious as well. The server never brought me my lemonade (they only had sparking) but I just asked them to take it off the check at the end and they apologized and did so.

I had dinner at this lovely place two nights in row during a very stressful few days. Not only is the food fantastic, but the service is really stellar. You can tell when the staff is happy in their environment and it’s clear in this case. Their friendliness is genuine and comfortable. It’s a place you can come in and truly relax and enjoy a meal, and not just because of the food, but because the staff is top notch. Thank you!

I wish you could give 6 star ratings because I would give this restaurant over 5 stars!!! Perfect for date night, this location is nestled right in the middle of La Jolla in a cozy little spot with a small outdoor patio in front that has string lights and heaters for those chilly California nights. They start you off with bread & oil, which must be the same kind of dough they use to make their pizzas because it tastes so fresh and homemade! I ordered the Cacio e Pepe per the waitress' recommendation and it was so so good, who knew such simple ingredients could taste so decadent! My Husband ordered their Margherita pizza - like I said before, the ingredients were so fresh and the dough tastes homemade, he loved it!! We ended the night with a slice of tiramisu, which hit the spot perfectly! Definitely a must try!

Growing up as an only child, I remember occasionally experiencing boredom and loneliness during Summer breaks from school that, at times, seemed to just go on and on. During some of those stretches of time I vividly remember battling a game called “Labyrinth.” Perhaps you know that of which I speak. Even the slightest turn of either dial meant either another inch of progress towards that elusive finish line or your immediate demise. Peril was literally around each and every corner. While a search for Italian food does not typically resemble traversing a “Labyrinth” style course of challenges, a search for fresh and authentic Italian can be exactly like that. 😬 In service to the community, the Henry’s Take Bylaws require each Review Team to promptly report whenever great Italian food has been discovered. 😉 Recommended to us by John Huebner, this establishment beckons you to come and share its bounty of flavors. One of our Review Team Members marveled that the sauce was so “delicate” and offered an abundance of flavor, but was not heavy. Our communal conclusion was that every bite was an adventure and the smell was so amazing that it made you feel a little guilty eating it for fear that you were somehow defacing a work of art. While our meals were not inexpensive, they also weren’t exorbitant. If you are in search of Vegan options you will not be left wanting as they are plentiful on this menu. We recommend that you try Isola yourself and then promptly NOT keep it a secret. And that’s…Henry’s Take. #sandiegoitalianfood

Third time coming here. The interior setup is cramped and you can barely hear the person in front of you due to loud music. We waited about 10 minutes to be served and 10 minutes to receive the check after having to ask but it was a busy Friday night. Parking is very difficult but it’s downtown La Jolla. The food was decent. Roasted brussels sprouts soggy and not really crispy. My pizza wasn’t cut fully through so I had to struggle with the knife. Pasta wasn’t Al dente, pretty basic for a Bolognese.

We had the most wonderful dinner. the service and the food was wonderful the servers treated us as if we were the only customers in the place w all the attention. I will definitely go back. I highly recommend it.

It felt like Italy but in California. Food was really good and tasty. Portions were huge but not too bad. It was a great spot with amazing pizza and pasta, and also perfect to take away

Follow on review: Came here recently as part of an event. As always, the food never fails to impress. The pizza is one of the best in San Diego, and the prosciutto is amazing. One thing that did strike me, however, was the level of service and how it declined proportionately with the amount of guests. Regardless of whether it was an event or not, it reflected poorly on the pace at which the staff can operate. I do have to give credit to the bartenders as they all did a great job trying to make everyone happy and were very aware of the shortcomings of the waitstaff as well. Had the privileged of coming in and testing out the restaurant during their Grand Opening in the summer (I am super late on posting the review!). Had a great time. The servers were super accommodating in seating us at the bar, even though we had a regular table reservation and were very attentive during the entire experience. Service was prompt and friendly and the overall atmosphere was very relaxed and conductive to socializing. We ordered the wood roasted vegetables and prosciutto, along with a rigatoni al ragu and the ham and mushroom pizza. I am in love with the wood roasted vegetables, which had a great variety of veggies and an awesome dipping sauce. I also really enjoyed the prosciutto, which came served with nice pillow bites of pizza dough. We had a couple of glasses of wine and really enjoyed the overall experience. Highly recommend!

The food was good, but not up to the quality. I would think it would be in this area. The service was pretty normal from what I’ve experienced, I don’t really have any complaints there that Miss fair was really good, a little bit of everyone eating here.

We decided to try one of the many Italian restaurants in the nice La Jolla area. The overall ambiance of the restaurant is very nice. There have candles and flowers for the tables. They also have a pizza oven in the back where you can see them cooking the pizzas. We decided to order the nero di seppia which is the squid ink spaghetti and the speck e funghi pizza which had prosciutto and mushrooms as the entrees. The spaghetti was delicious and flavorful! It had the perfect amount of sauce and the bits of garlic gave it a burst of flavor. The squid ink in the black pasta along with the shrimps gave it an interesting presentation. The pizza also looked nice however the taste was disappointing. The crust had burnt parts and tasted very bitter. My fingers were stained black after trying the pizza. We felt that the ash in the oven got on the pizza, giving it this very bitter taste. When we mentioned this to the waitress, she was very understanding and went to talk to the manager. The pizza was taken off our bill and they apologized for the experience. They dealt with the situation professionally and encouraged us to try them again another time. For dessert, we decided to try the tiramisu and the Pere Al Vino Rosso which was red wine poached pear with vanilla gelato and biscotti. Their desserts were delicious and light! Definitely go for the Pere Al Vino Rosso for something a bit tart and not too sweet. Also, if you check in yelp, you get a free dessert!

Absolutely delicious and a great value. We’ve been eating our way through Italian restaurants in San Diego and Isola is the best to date. Using quality ingredients, they don’t simply use an overload of cheese as other restaurants do. Salmon was cooked perfectly and the ragu amazing. You must have the affagato!! We love our veggies so really appreciate the attention to vegetables on the appetizer menu and the generous portion served with the fish. Servers were knowledgeable and very friendly. Also a special shoutout to the Chef for a variety of menu items that help eaters who need to limit dairy and wheat. This can be a deal breaker for us when Italian restaurants don’t have good salad or vegetarian options, over rely on cheese and don’t have gluten-free pasta or alternatives. My husband thanks you too!!! We will definitely be back!!! Sorry for the pics of half eaten food!

I found this place really tasty. Great service from the waiters. The pasta has really nice taste to it. Also, the site is clean and feels like its got a cool vibe. 5/5.

Great atmosphere and great food! The service was nice and we feel at home 🇮🇹🍕 Definitely recommend if you are in town!

Wow what a surprise, let my 6 year old pick where we would go on our dad date and these guys took care of the rest! Our pizza came out in 3 minutes!!

My favorite Italian restaurant. I will make the hour+ drive to eat here . After coming back from Italy it's so nice to have real pizza! I recommend all the dishes!

Great pizza. The service was great.

They have the best, best, best happy hour anywhere in San Diego...I love it..

Ordered the pizza Margarita POD with Mozzarella die buffola on it. Unfortunately it had less cheese on it than the basic Margarita which my friend ordered although it was 7$ extra. The remaining cheese was literally swimming in tomato sauce which made the pizza feel more like a soup. The pizza was also burned so i nearly couldnt eat the crust at all. While we were still eating the staff started to clean up and put chairs on the bar. Overall a very disappointing visit.

The best true Italian pizza! Our waitress was so sweet. The chicken salad is delicious.

Introduced to this restaurant by our daughter and her fiancee. Very good service and delicious food! Definitely recommend this place and know we will be coming back again!

Ottima pizza con prodotti di qualità, consigliata per chi ha nostalgia dell'Italia! �

Amazing food and service . Ordered the pizza , spaghetti and chocolate desssert

Best pizza in San Diego, if not in CA, if not in the west... Seriously.

Tutto ottimo, tanta gentilezza e cortesia, grazie è sempre un piacere stare a l'isola.

Loved their Asparagus and Brie pizza and service was excellent.

Fantastic food. Casual dining. Great pasta. Brussel sprout app was fabulous.

My wife and I brought a few of our close friends for dinner here last night. We've been big fans of Isola Pizza Bar in Little Italy for years and this newer location since it opened last year.It was great to run into familiar faces like Jacob,Nick,Aidan and of course Massimo who we all know from our prior visits.We enjoyed a variety of delicious pizzas and pasta dishes plus some killer desserts.Nick looked after our every need all evening and Morgan kept us all regularly hydrated.Super friendly owner Massimo dropped by and said hello to everyone at our table and made a few recommendations on what was cooking tonight.Our friends thanked us for bringing them to such a classy,friendly and authentic Italian restaurant.We all had a blast!

Isola is a wonderful addition to La Jolla. Thank you Massimo for opening in The Village. We are traveling but can't wait to try you during your new lunchtime hours.

Delicious food, clean environment! No more words needed